The lumbar spine absorbs a remarkable amount of stress and motion during normal activity. For the majority of the population, the healing response of the body is able to stay ahead of the cumulative effects of injury, wear, and aging, and yet still maintain stability with reasonable function. In some cases, however, the trauma or stress exceeds the ability of the body to heal, leading to local breakdown and excessive wear, and frequently also leads to local instability. Accordingly, degenerative change with age superimposed on baseline anatomy in the lumbar spine leads to problems including instability, pain and neurologic compromise in some patients. In some cases, the local anatomy may not provide the same protection to the motion segment, thereby aggravating this breakdown. Although rehabilitation, conditioning, the limitation of stress, and time to recover are effective treatments for most patients, there is a significant failure rate with persistent pain, disability and potential neurologic deficit.
Referring now to FIGS. 1, and 2, two side views of a pair of adjacent vertebral bodies are shown. FIG. 1 illustrates two vertebra V1 and V2 of the spine in a neutral position. As shown in FIG. 2, when a person leans forwards, the spine undergoes flexion. The anterior portion of the spine comprises a set of generally cylindrically shaped bones which are stacked one on top of the other. These portions of the vertebrae are referred to as the vertebral bodies VB1 and VB2, and are each separated from the other by the intervertebral discs D. The pedicles P1 and P2 comprise bone bridges which couple the anterior vertebral body VB to the posterior portion of each vertebra. At each intervertebral joint or disc D, flexion involves a combination of anterior sagittal rotation and a small amplitude anterior translation.
The intervertebral joint is a complex structure comprising an intervertebral disc anteriorly, and paired zygapophyseal joints posteriorly. The disc functions as an elastic support and connection between the vertebra, and allows for flexion and extension of the spine, as well as limited rotation and translation. The zygapophyseal joints and associated anatomy allow for significant flexion and extension while providing constraints in translation and rotation.
The primary bending motion in the lumbar spine is flexion and extension in an anterior/posterior plane. This occurs in the range approximating 10-15 degrees of flexion and extension. In a young or normal lumbar spine, this motion occurs about an axis in the mid to posterior portion of the disc. This is associated with a distraction or subluxation of the facet joints or posterior elements of 10-15 mm. This occurs not about a pure axis, but about a neutral zone, or a centroid of rotation associated with the lumbar disc. The normal elasticity of the disc, joints and ligaments, and the degree of play or freedom associated with these joints, as well as the nature of the loads applied to the spine contribute to the size of this region of rotation. In some cases, the recurrent loads and motion on the disc and associated trauma to disc and motion segment exceed the natural rate of healing or repair of the body. In this situation, there is breakdown in the motion segment associated with loss of the normal axis of rotation. As increasing subluxation occurs with segmental motion, there is a dramatic shift in the axis of rotation with displacement occurring within the disc space or frequently to some point outside of the disc. Therefore, in the situation of a failing motion segment, there is breakdown in the centroid of rotation with associated translation of the vertebral segments. This translation is allowed by both breakdown occurring in the disc and instability associated with both wear and degeneration of the zygapophyseal joints. The underlying anatomy of the motion segment and joints allows for significantly greater stress on the disc and contributes to degeneration both in the disc and joints.
Traditionally, surgical treatment has been directed at treating neural compromise, or if the pain, instability, or risk of instability is considered sufficient, a segmental fusion has been considered. More recently, stabilization procedures have been tried over the past several years including artificial discs and ligaments and elastomeric constructs to protect the spine. Arthroplasty techniques to maximize function and reduce the dynamic effects on adjacent segments are a more recent approach with less follow-up as to long-term results. A challenge in designing such a system is constraining motion in a normal physiologic range.
Spinal fusion surgery is a method of fusing at least two mobile segments of the spine to knit them together as one unit and eliminate motion between the segments. Current spinal fixation systems offer several drawbacks. Rigid fusion constructs do not allow relative movement between the vertebrae that are fused using a construct comprising a pedicle screw, connector mechanism, and rigid rod. Furthermore, rigid implants are known to create significant amounts of stress on the components of the construct, including the pedicle screws and the rod, as well as the bone structure itself. These stresses may even cause the rigid rod to break. In addition, the stresses transferred to the pedicle screws may cause the screws to loosen or even dislodge from the vertebrae, thereby causing additional bone damage.
Artificial discs may replace a failing disc and approximate a normal centroid or axis of rotation; however, placement of such a device is technically demanding and replaces the normal disc with a mechanical replacement with uncertain long-term results. The artificial disc will be subject to wear without the healing potential of the body to heal itself.
It is also desirable with some patients to have a spinal implant system that allows the vertebral column to settle naturally under the weight of the human body. Human bone heals more readily under some pressure. In a rigid spinal implant system, the patient's spinal column may be unnaturally held apart by the structure of the implant. It is possible that this stretching of the vertebrae, in relation to one another, results in delayed or incomplete healing of the bone.
Posterior devices placed with pedicle fixation may provide some stabilization, however, the natural motion of such devices does not necessarily act to mimic normal physiology. In a healthy lumbar spine the axis of rotation or neutral area for motion is situated near the inferior posterior third of the lumbar disc. A desirable artificial system would closely approximate physiologic motion. However, to date, posterior systems have failed to address these concerns.
Several existing patents disclose fusion devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,661 discloses a device that includes a curvilinear rod such that the implant supposedly restores normal biomechanical function to the vertebrae of the spine receiving the implant. However, the '661 patent does not disclose a device having structure other than a curvilinear shape that has a radius of curvature of between 0 to 180 degrees. In addition, the '661 patent does not disclose the concept of providing an anteriorly projected pivot point that models the natural articulation of the subject vertebrae by using a structure that provides a virtual rotation zone substantially identical to the rotation zone provided by the patient's vertebrae. In addition, as seen in FIG. 3 of the '661 patent, the device disclosed in the '661 patent utilizes a body 4 having a central section 10 having an anteriorly oriented position relative to its ends 6a, 6b. 
U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,949 also discloses a spinal stabilization device intended for use along the cervical vertebrae, and intended to be installed along the anterior side of the vertebrae.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,440,169 discloses a device that attaches to the spinous processes of two vertebrae and has a leaf spring that allows the device to compress and then recover spontaneously after the stress has ceased. However, the '169 patent does not address a construct that includes an anteriorly projected pivot point that allows the vertebrae to articulate when the spine undergoes flexion.
In view of the above, there is a long felt but unsolved need for a method and system that avoids the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art and that provides an effective system that is relatively simple to employ and requires minimal displacement or removal of bodily tissue.